Champions League – FC Bayern against Benfica Lisbon: “We always have to win”

As always, it was worth listening carefully, for which slow motion would sometimes be helpful, even with audio recordings. For example, when Max Eberl once again speaks at a speed at which some of FC Bayern’s opponents counterattack in the Champions League. “Perfection in football is difficult,” said the sports director and added about the upcoming game against Benfica Lisbon on the fourth matchday of the premier class after the three wins without conceding a goal: 5-0 in Bochum, 4-0 in Mainz and 3-0 against Union Berlin: “We want to take this euphoria that we have now, this self-image, this self-feeling with us in a controlled manner.” Rewinded again briefly to check the emphasis, and actually, Eberl said: “take with us in a controlled manner.”

This is the question that will be at stake this Wednesday against Benfica: How much control will Bayern exert in their arena with their brash, dominant style, especially when they lose the ball and the opponent switches quickly? In the Bundesliga in Bochum and against Union it worked very well except for a few moments, as well as in the DFB Cup in Mainz. But the experience of the season shows that the Munich team will reach their limits against better opponents or even learn the lessons like in the 4-1 defeat at FC Barcelona.

FC Bayern had also lost their previous game in Europe at Aston Villa 0-1, which is why they now have to win to keep their chance of qualifying directly for the round of 16. In both defeats, the Munich team were countered several times with their highly positioned defense. However, Eberl emphasized the positive: Leverkusen (1:1) and Frankfurt (3:3) were “nailed to the wall” and only “played one bad half of the season, that was Barcelona.” The sports director spoke of a “process”: “New coach, new style of football, you make one or two mistakes.” His assignment against Benfica: “We have to make up for a lot.”

If you like, FC Bayern has a sporting transfer finale against Portugal’s record champions. A controlled performance like against Union must be transferred from the less challenging national everyday life to Europe’s most demanding stage. Eberl made the 3-0 a benchmark: They didn’t set off any fireworks, but they “played like a top team” in the second half. Coach Vincent Kompany said: “When good players run together, attack together, defend together, then you always have a basis.” If this basis is there, you can also do something tactically.

The basic approach will not change anyway, it should only be refined in order to be able to prevent dangerous counterattacks even more frequently. At FC Bayern Munich they are trying to dispel the doubts expressed in many places about the risky man-to-man defense after the defeat in Barcelona. Sometimes it sounds a bit laborious, as with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who saw many an attacker rushing towards him. “I just think that we believe in our philosophy.” The team certainly leaves the impression that they are convinced of Kompany’s guidelines. Simply because they bring with them the feeling of great superiority and a lot of fun – and the most goals in Europe: 50 in 14 games, an average of more than three and a half goals per game. The average goal conceded: exactly one.

“The path we are currently taking not only brings great style of play, but also results,” says Thomas Müller. “How dominant we act and basically how few shots we allow, especially if we compare it with the last few years, then there can be no two opinions that we are on the right track.” But the veteran admits: “It is It’s a different matter whether you keep a clean sheet against Barcelona and Frankfurt or against Bochum, Mainz and Union Berlin.” And he also says: “We’ll have to wait a little longer before we get into a faux pas again.”

If that happens against Benfica, it will be unlikely that they will be able to make it into the top eight of 36 teams in the Champions League. But the pressure can be dealt with, the people of Munich assure us. »It’s nothing different than usual. When you wear the FC Bayern jersey, you always have this pressure, no matter what the previous results were,” says Neuer. And Kompany thinks it’s “very simple for us: we always have to win.” But now, absolutely.